1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print processing apparatus using a computer system equipped with an application software for editing printing data and a printer driver for setting an operation of a printer, each of the software and the printer driver having a print setting screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 7-44338 (1995), there is disclosed a print control apparatus and method in which printing functions of each application having a printing function on the computer are separated as one function, to thereby realize uniformity among user interfaces or printing functions which are different from application to application.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2-41557 (1990), there is disclosed a document preparing and processing system having a document preparing function and a print processing function in which a format concerning a layout can be changed by manipulating a layout screen.
As to operating systems such as Windows, however, each printer has its own printer driver, and contents to be set by the printer drivers are different among respective printers. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2-41557 (1990), it is not described to make a preview by referring to the contents of the printing driver setting. Accordingly, functions associated with individual printers, such as toner save mode setting, staple setting and the like are not reflected on the preview screen, so that there is a possibility that an image on the preview screen and an actual printing result on the paper are different to each other.
As described above, when printing operation using the application is executed in the conventional computer system, which is equipped with an operating system arranged so as to absorb differences between peripheral apparatuses of the computer using device drivers specific to individual apparatuses to make it possible to use the peripheral apparatuses commonly, a print setting screen on the application side and a printer setting screen on the printer driver side, and setting items thereof sometimes overlap. In such a constitution, it is difficult for the user to recognize the setting method, and accordingly there is a high possibility of causing printing mistakes.
Furthermore, even though efforts have been made to apply the prior arts to the above computer system with such an operating system, it turned out difficult because the printer specific functions can not be set.
The present invention is made for solving the above problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a print processing apparatus using a computer system which, in performing printing operation using an application program, allows a print setting screen associated with the application program and a printer setting screen associated with a printer driver to be displayed simultaneously, and extracts an overlapping item from setting items associated with each screen, thereby preventing the setting contents from overlapping with each other.
It is another object of the invention to provide a print processing apparatus using a computer system which, in performing printing operation using an application program, extracts print setting items associated with the application program and printer setting items associated with a printer driver, and allows all the items required for print setting to be listed and displayed in a single screen.
In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a print processing apparatus using a computer system, comprising:
a printer driver (1-15) specific to a printer (1-4) for sending printing data directly from an application program (1-12) which has a printing function or via an operating system (1-14) from the application program, to the printer (1-4), the printer (1-4) constituting the computer system with a computer (1-1) connected thereto;
display means for displaying print setting items of the application program and print setting items of the printer driver simultaneously on particular screens when printing operation is carried out using the application program; and
print setting means for extracting an overlapping item between the print setting items of the application program and the print setting items of the printer driver so as to prevent the contents of the overlapping item from conflicting with each other.
According to the first aspect of the invention, since an overlapping print setting item is extracted between the print setting items of the application program and the print setting items of the printer driver, to prevent the contents of the overlapping item from conflicting with each other, printing mistakes due to errors in print setting can be avoided.
In a second aspect of the invention, the print setting means prohibits input of a print setting item among the print setting items of the printer driver which overlaps with that of the application program.
According to the second aspect of the invention, the input positions for the overlapping item are unified, so that the operability is improved.
In a third aspect of the invention, the print setting means erases a print setting item among the print setting items of the printer driver which overlaps with that of the application program, from the screen for displaying the print setting items of the printer driver.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the setting screen is simplified, and the user is prevented from erroneously inputting on a point where input is prohibited, so that the operability is improved.
In a fourth aspect of the invention, the print setting means warns that the overlapping item between the print setting items of the application program and the print setting items of the printer driver is manipulated.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to confirm whether the input value is reflected to the printed result correctly, and thus a printing mistake due to erroneous print setting can be avoided.
In a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a print processing apparatus using a computer system, comprising:
a printer driver (1-15) specific to a printer (1-4) for sending printing data directly from an application program (1-12) which has a printing function or via an operating system (1-14) from the application program, to the printer (1-4), the printer (1-4) constituting the computer system with a computer (1-1) connected thereto;
display means; and
print setting means for extracting print setting items of the application program and print setting items of the printer driver and causing the display means to display all the print setting items required for printing operation on one screen, when the printing operation is carried out using the application program.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in performing printing operation by using the application program, all the print setting items required for the printing are extracted from the print setting items of the application program and the print setting items of the printer driver, and listed and displayed on one screen, to thereby unify the print setting items required for printing. That helps the user to understand the setting items, so that the operability is improved.
In a sixth aspect of the invention, the display means further displays a print preview image on a particular screen, and the print preview image is paler when a toner save mode is set than when the toner save mode is not set.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, setting of the toner save mode associated with individual printer can be readily confirmed on the preview screen, so that the operability is improved and print mistakes can be avoided.
In a seventh aspect of the invention, the display means further displays a print preview image on a particular screen, and
when a type of printing paper is set for each page, differences in printing paper type for each page are identified on the screen for displaying the print preview image.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the differences in printing paper type is readily confirmed for each page on the print preview screen, so that the operability is improved and printing mistakes are avoided.
In an eighth aspect of the invention, a background image can be set for each type of printing paper.
According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the user can distinguish the type of printing paper readily by observing the background image, and therefore the operability is improved.
In a ninth aspect of the invention, the display means further displays a print preview image on a particular screen, and
when a staple position is set, the staple position of all pages is displayed on the screen for displaying the print preview image.
According to the ninth aspect of the invention, the stapling position can be confirmed readily, and a mistake in staple setting is avoided.
In a tenth aspect of the invention, the staple position can be changed by direct manipulation of the screen for displaying the print preview image, and in case where an improper position for the staple position is designated, an operation of warning, ignoring or newly designating a position closest to the previously designated position within a valid range is executed.
According to the tenth aspect of the invention, the operation is easy to be understood because of its direct manner, and the changed results is easily confirmed. In addition, the stapling position is prevented from being set at improper position such as at the outside the printing paper, so that setting mistakes for the stapling position are avoided.
In an 11th aspect of the invention, the display means further displays a print preview image on a particular screen, and
when a double-sided printing mode is set, face and back sides of printing paper for each page are identified on the screen for displaying the print preview image, and insertion/removal of a blank page into/from an arbitrary page and designation of face/back side of printing paper for each page can be effected by direct manipulation of the screen for displaying the preview image.
According to the 11th aspect of the invention, since the user can perform manipulation while observing the preview screen, editing operation of inserting or removing a blank page and confirmation thereof are facilitated, avoiding printing mistakes.
In a 12th aspect of the invention, the display means further displays a print preview image on a particular screen, and
when a double-sided printing mode is set, a long-length binding mode or a short-length binding mode can be designated on the screen for displaying the print preview image and a double-page spread is displayed on the screen for displaying the print preview image according to the designated mode.
According to the 12th aspect of the invention, it is possible to decide a layout while being aware of also a double-page spread after binding, so that the operability is improved.
In a 13th aspect of the invention, the display means further displays a print preview image on a particular screen, and
when a double-sided printing mode is set, a binding margin can be set and a binding margin range is displayed on the screen for displaying the print preview image.
According to the 13th aspect of the invention, the binding margin range can be readily confirmed.
In a 14th aspect of the invention, the display means further displays a print preview image on a particular screen, and
horizontal flipping, 180xc2x0 rotating and inverting of printing image are identified on the screen for displaying print preview image in setting thereof.
According to the 14th aspect of the invention, effect of the horizontal flipping, 180xc2x0 rotating or inverting of printing image is visible, so that printing mistakes are avoided.
In a 15th aspect of the invention, horizontal flipping, 180xc2x0 rotating or inverting printing image is inputted by direct manipulation of the screen for displaying the print preview image.
According to the 15th aspect of the invention, detail setting for each page is achieved by manipulating on the preview screen.
In a 16th aspect of the invention, the display means further displays a print preview image on a particular screen, and
when number of guard sheets to be inserted or a page into which a guard sheet is to be inserted is set, each setting is identified on the screen for displaying the print preview image.
According to the 16th aspect of the invention, setting concerning the guard sheet can be made on the preview screen, which makes the manipulation and confirmation of changed result easier.